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Nazir 63a

נזיר ס״ג ע״א

Learn Nazir 63a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

A נזיר who discovers he was טמא: known versus hidden טומאת התהום, its source as a tradition, and whether the time of finding out matters

Overview

The משנה teaches that if a נזיר already shaved and only then finds out he was טמא מת, a known טומאה cancels (סותר) his נזירות, but a hidden טומאת תהום does not. If he finds out before shaving, it cancels either way. A cave case illustrates this: a corpse floating openly is a known טומאה. For a corpse sunk in the cave floor, each person keeps his earlier חזקה. The גמרא asks for the source of the distinction. רבי אליעזר learns it from ״עליו״ (clear to him), and ריש לקיש learns it from 'a road far away' (out in the open). Two ברייתות raise difficulties: hidden means unknown to anyone in the world, and a hidden corpse under a road makes a person טמא for תרומה but not for נזיר or פסח. So the גמרא concludes that טומאת התהום is a received tradition. Next, רבי יוחנן says the line about finding out before shaving follows רבי אליעזר, who holds that shaving is required to finish the נזירות. Finally, רמי בר חמא asks whether a נזיר who became טמא during his days but found out only after they ended loses his days, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ נָזִיר שֶׁגִּילַּח,

MISHNA: A nazirite who shaved,

וְנוֹדַע לוֹ שֶׁהוּא טָמֵא,

and it became known to him that he was impure,

אִם טוּמְאָה יְדוּעָה — סוֹתֵר,

if it was a known impurity, he negates his naziriteship,

וְאִם טוּמְאַת תְּהוֹם — אֵינוֹ סוֹתֵר.

and if it was impurity of the depths, he does not negate it.

The steps (14)

  1. StatementKnown impurity versus hidden impurity after shaving
  2. StatementThe cave case: a floating corpse versus a sunken corpse
  3. StatementFor the sunken corpse, his earlier status decides
  4. QuestionWhere does the known versus hidden rule come from?
  5. Responseרבי אליעזר learns it from the word "עליו"
  6. Responseריש לקיש learns it from the word 'road'
  7. ChallengeA teaching defines hidden impurity as unknown to anyone in the world
  8. ChallengeThe definition fits 'road' but not 'clear to him'
  9. ChallengeA second teaching treats תרומה differently from נזיר and פסח
  10. ConclusionHidden impurity is a tradition
  11. QuestionWho taught the line about finding out before shaving?
  12. ResponseIt follows רבי אליעזר, who says shaving is required
  13. QuestionDo we go by when he found out or when it happened?
  14. QuestionWhat is the question about? Losing his days